Each Wednesday I listen to the live broadcast of Choral Evensong on the BBC. Services are broadcast live from English cathedrals, collegiate chapels, and significant churches.
On Ash Wednesday, evensong was broadcast live from the Temple Church in London. A link to that performace is given:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06zvblr
At this service, the hymn sung was one that I had never heard before, but which immediately moved and his stayed in my mind. It is a "modern" (1988) hymn, and was composed by Barry Ferguson.
Barry Ferguson b. 1942 was head chorister at Exeter Cathedral and organ scholar at Peterhouse, Cambridge, before he became assistant organist at Peterborough Cathedral, then Organist at Wimborne Minster, and finally Organist and Master of the Choristers at Rochester Cathedral. He studied composition with Herbert Howells,
and his music is published by Novello, OUP, Cramer, Encore, Cathedral Music, Banks, Basil Ramsey and the RSCM. Recent commissioning bodies include The Thomas Hardy Society, the Burton Art Gallery, and St.
Paul’s Cathedral.
In addition to being a superb organist (recital and liturgical), he is (well, maybe was..) an outstanding counter-tenor (male alto).
This tune, "Cypress Court" was composed in 1988 while he was organist at Rochester. The appeal is immediate, as well as the emotion. I'm not sure that we can really call this a "Lenten hymn," but it certainly works well in the Lenten season. The words were written in 1859 by Love M. Willis (1824-1908).
There is one full verse of introduction.
This is dedicated to our member, "Qudomo", who found and sent me this score )attached below). THANK YOU, Corey! :-)
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